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Committee Updates

On Wednesday, June 4, 2014, Senator George joined several of his legislative colleagues and leaders of the Seneca Nation of Indians to host a discussion on heroin abuse and reform in our society. Senator Maziarz is a member of the NYS Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction and also Chairman of the NYS Senate Select Committee on State-Native American Affairs. The officials heard from many experts in health care, law enforcement, and other areas as they gather input to improve state policies with respect to dealing with addiction.

We recently testified at the first meeting of the New York State Senate Select Committee on State-Native American Relations. A forum of this nature has long been missing in the state capitol. This new committee embodies what Senator George Maziarz and the other senators who serve on this committee recognize is the urgent need for a productive dialogue between the State of New York and the Indian Nations and tribes located within the state. For too long, New York State's leaders made decisions that impacted the Seneca and other native peoples without having an adequate understanding of our history, our culture, and our sovereign and treaty rights.

This morning the New York State Senate Select Committee on State-Native American Relations held a public hearing in Albany to advance a productive dialogue between Indian nations and state government. Representatives of the Oneida, Seneca, and St. Regis Mohawk Indian Nation met with a bipartisan group of state senators to talk about economic development and challenges facing their tribes.